Could Velocity Rewards' Customer Service be Any Worse???

[VelocitySucks]

It started with a complaint about the whole Gold Status thing. But the way they handled the complaint ended up way worse than the original situation. So bad, that I created the VelocitySucks blog on Wordpress - VelocitySucks / wordpress / com.

I'd be very interested to know if anyone else got the runaround and all the lies from Velocity Rewards that I did.

In the meantime, I found out about the terms and conditions we've all signed up to: They can give your email details to anyone they want and don't have to include an unsubscribe function in anything they or their "partners" send. Niiiice.

If you have a complaint or comment about Virgin Blue or Velocity Rewards, by all means, post it there.

 

[Travel Guru]

In the meantime, I found out about the terms and conditions we've all signed up to: They can give your email details to anyone they want and don't have to include an unsubscribe function in anything they or their "partners" send. Niiiice.

I can't say i've ever read the T&C's with Velocity, but can't imagine that's the case, as it would contravene the anti-spam laws which state you must provide a means of opting out or you're breaking the law and can't see DJ being stupid enough to leave themselves open to prosecution by doing that.

TG

 

[VelocitySucks]

This is straight off the Velocity Rewards Terms & Conditions:
9.2.Any or all of VRPL and any existing or prospective Program Partners may use personal information collected about you for the purposes of:
(a)meeting any of their commitments to you;
(b)disclosing that information to third party service providers whom any of them engage to assist in meeting commitments to you;
(c)any or all of them marketing products or services to you;
AND
9.5.You consent to receiving marketing and promotional material from VRPL or any existing or prospective Program Partners. You agree that VRPL need not include an “unsubscribe” facility in any electronic message VRPL sends you.

 

[anat0l]

This is straight off the Velocity Rewards Terms & Conditions:
...9.5.You consent to receiving marketing and promotional material from VRPL or any existing or prospective Program Partners. You agree that VRPL need not include an “unsubscribe” facility in any electronic message VRPL sends you.

I suspect, however, that there must be some stipulation in law that allows you to "unsubscribe" or refuse communications from any person, and you can contact Virgin Blue in order to enable this.

Maybe the T&Cs simply says that for any given email, there need not be an "unsubscribe" link. That does not preclude your ability to opt out of mailing list communications.

VRPL are not above the law and I believe that if you want to opt out of a mailing list then there is a way for it to be done legally.

 

[markis10]

I suspect, however, that there must be some stipulation in law that allows you to "unsubscribe" or refuse communications from any person, and you can contact Virgin Blue in order to enable this.

Maybe the T&Cs simply says that for any given email, there need not be an "unsubscribe" link. That does not preclude your ability to opt out of mailing list communications.

VRPL are not above the law and I believe that if you want to opt out of a mailing list then there is a way for it to be done legally.

VRPL are well and truely within the law in term of their marketing and the contract you have with them:

"While commercial electronic messages do require a functional unsubscribe facility, in some cases this may be omitted where both parties agree otherwise. For example, a supplier and customer who exchange regular emails about a transaction may agree not to include an unsubscribe facility in every message. This can be a contractual arrangement or simply a mutual agreement.

An unsubscribe facility is not required where it would be inconsistent with the terms of a contract or agreement between the sender (whoever authorised the message) and recipient (the electronic account-holder) – for example, when a contract between two parties requires the sending of regular updates; or where the conditions of membership to an association require the sharing of commercial information between members via email. However, it would not be acceptable for the sender to vary the terms of an existing contract to make the receipt of marketing messages mandatory. That would not constitute the recipient giving consent. "

ACMA - Unsubscribe ability is mandatory

You can always opt out by withdrawing your membership.

 

[Travel Guru]

Maybe the T&Cs simply says that for any given email, there need not be an "unsubscribe" link. That does not preclude your ability to opt out of mailing list communications.

According to the Spam Act 2003:

You need to provide people the choice to opt out, or unsubscribe, from your future commercial electronic messages.
It needs to be a clearly presented and easy to use.
Ensure that a functional unsubscribe facility is included in all your commercial electronic messages.
Deal with unsubscribe requests promptly.


So if that is the case, they're breaking the law by sending any emails without an unsubscribe function, whether you previously agree to their T&C's or not.

TG

 

[haydensydney]

I'd be very interested to know if anyone else got the runaround and all the lies from Velocity Rewards that I did

Not at all - Velocity have been a great program and the one small issue I had was resolved efficiently.

VelocitySucks / wordpress / com.

I don't know why, but I thought that I would waste 5 minutes of my life reading your "blog". Why are you launching a vendetta against DJ over that silly "Your now Gold" email debarcle? Oh please... surely you have better things to do with your time. Or do you?

Everyone knows that the email was sent in error. It has been discussed at length (and then some!) in this forum. I don't see why, months after the email incident, you are still waging war to obtain something for free that (lets face it) you were not entitled to.

On another note, who is silly enough to put screenshots of their emails with their velocity number still showing? Obviously privacy doesn't mean that much to you, so why bash Velocity for having a few bullet points in the T&C's?

Insane. Much.

 

[VelocitySucks]

Good point on the screenshots.

As for my goal, it isn't about the offer, it's about the way the complaint was handled. I don't want the gold upgrade. I just want them to do what they say they are going to and not lie.

 

[haydensydney]

As for my goal, it isn't about the offer, it's about the way the complaint was handled. I don't want the gold upgrade. I just want them to do what they say they are going to and not lie.

Yes, but its a catch 22 scenario isn't it? Chicken or the egg?

What was really wrong in this scenario: The way the complaint was handled, or the actual complaint?

 

[medhead]

Another here who can't believe you've bothered. Exactly what did it cost you? What did you lose by the fake gold email? Nothing!?

On the quote of ACMA note the end bit says that they can't make receiving marketing email mandatory in the T&C.

I'd also note that you just have to log in to the velocity account and that should allow you to opt out. Also make sure you untick the box about marketing email when doing a booking.

Edit sorry if this is hard to follow I'm on iphone

 

[VelocitySucks]

Yes, but its a catch 22 scenario isn't it? Chicken or the egg?

What was really wrong in this scenario: The way the complaint was handled, or the actual complaint?

All I wanted was a reasonable response to my complaint. I had a reasonably point to make and I wanted a response. I didn't, however, want anything but for it to be addressed. Still don't.

Unfortunately, the way they handled the complaint was much worse than the original mistake, as it showcases a premeditated and systemic disrespect for their customers and just how shallow the whole customer service ethos is.

Virgin Blue used to be my favourite airline. Marketing 101 is that your biggest fans will become your biggest detractors if you burn them badly enough.

 

[anat0l]

I don't know why, but I thought that I would waste 5 minutes of my life reading your "blog". Why are you launching a vendetta against DJ over that silly "Your now Gold" email debarcle? Oh please... surely you have better things to do with your time. Or do you?

Another here who can't believe you've bothered. Exactly what did it cost you? What did you lose by the fake gold email? Nothing!?

Well, I guess every major company has their haters, and usually those haters make their presence known online with a blog, website or the like.

Qantas has one.

Virgin Atlantic has one.

Emirates has one.


Now Virgin Blue has one.

 

[anat0l]

Virgin Blue used to be my favourite airline. ""Marketing 101"" is that your biggest fans will become your biggest detractors if you burn them badly enough.

"Worst enemies" seems like a more appropriate descriptor.

Notice how the act of burning someone combines both frequency and intensity i.e. you can do something little to someone many times or do something big to someone once = (almost) same result.

 

[VelocitySucks]

"Worst enemies" seems like a more appropriate descriptor.

Notice how the act of burning someone combines both frequency and intensity i.e. you can do something little to someone many times or do something big to someone once = (almost) same result.

Honestly, I can't believe it got to me so bad that I did this, but it really did. I was really patient and wasn't asking for anything but a proper response and an apology for dropping the ball on the customer service for months.

Somewhere around the 8th or 10th time they said someone would call me back and didn't - or maybe it was the eventual response email that totally missed the point - I just snapped. And I'm usually so even keeled!

So yeah, this is a little crazy. I just want them to know that they can't just blow off their customers and expect them all to go away quietly. Once in a while, someone is going to hit back.

Plus, I have to admit, making the logo was very satisfying.

 

[gilby08]

I'm not a DJ fan at all.
But a very good job in all aspects, including that logo

 

[samh004]

So their customer service “really does suck”, congrats, they probably know that, but what do you expect them to do, reply and say they agree with you, ask you for pointers on how they can fix it (according to you of course), issue a press release saying that you identified their customer service sucks and they agree with you?

The response you got from them eventually explained everything clearly and I think was perfectly acceptable. For you to them email them back and basically abuse them, what did you think would happen, that they’d keep replying to you?

I really don’t understand.

You’re mad, so were a lot of people, you’ve identified a fault in a company that a lot of people have identified in many companies, and the company low and behold hasn’t acknowledged that the fault you identified exists. OMG, really, who’d have thought they wouldn’t agree with you, don’t they know their own company?

Finally, at the bottom of your “story so far” entry you mention that we should share our war stories in the blog comments, but the blog comments for that entry are turned off!

The logo is good though.

 

[jsd]

Just another person who won't accept that a mistake is a mistake and everybody makes them, Velocity Gold is there for people who have actually earned it by showing loyalty to DJ,not something that is just given away to every tom, bob & harry that flies once in a blue moon


Take one on the chin and move on with your life




Josh


P.S. I want the 7.5 minutes of my life that i wasted reading the utter garbage on your website, stewing over 1 email that over 1 million others shrugged off, someone needs a life

 

[straitman]

Just another person who won't accept that a mistake is a mistake and everybody makes them, Velocity Gold is there for people who have actually earned it by showing loyalty to DJ,not something that is just given away to every tom, bob & harry that flies once in a blue moon


Take one on the chin and move on with your life




Josh


P.S. I want the 7.5 minutes of my life that i wasted reading the utter garbage on your website, stewing over 1 email that over 1 million others shrugged off, someone needs a life

jdevereux3,

Thanks for your post. I was thinking about reading the blog but will save the 7.5 minutes for anything else :!:

 

[jsd]

Cheers straitman glad to know my posts are getting through to some people.


Also VelocitySucks if you think velocity sucks as much as you say it does, then why are you still a member of it, i mean everyone has their companies that they hate (I'm a Telstra hater:evil: personally) but the easiest solution is also the most obvious one, LEAVE, don't make up some garbage and post it on a website to gripe, it gets nobody nowhere



Cheers

Josh

 

[Saab34]

I am quite frustrated with Velocity at the moment. After VA changed my booking without telling me (yes it was MEL-LAX related), I got no points earned for the SYD-LAX-SYD run, but got points for the Melbourne connection. I have called up 8 times now since early November, and they keep saying they are going to add the points in 48hrs time.

I dont think their call centre is Australian based like part of the Virgin one, sounds like its in Philippines.